


General

by LilacMist



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: Canon Divergence, F/M, enemies to lovers????????????? is that what this is???????????, no beta i die like zelgius, which will join up with canon later so idk how much merit it has but anyway
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:28:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23815384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilacMist/pseuds/LilacMist
Summary: For his faliure at the Caves, General Zelgius is demoted and given command over new troops--the Daein army."I will lead Daein in this war we have no business being involved in, but I will not do it in fear. You," Micaiah hisses, "General Zelgius, do not scare me."
Relationships: Micaiah/Zelgius (Fire Emblem)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 16





	1. Ice

"Your failure at the caves cost me," Valtome spits. Zelgius narrows his eyes and nods in reluctant agreement. He knows that it was Valtome's insistence on sending his men to their deaths that lowered their numbers, but it is not his place to correct the senator. Not that he would listen to him, anyway. "We will need more troops if we are to completely and utterly destroy those filthy sub-humans, so I have gone out of my way to secure another army for myself."

This was not part of the plan. The Central Army was never meant to take on a satellite. Actually, none of this was part of the plan. Duke Persis should not have been captured. The Apostle should not have gone missing. Zelgius cannot think about this now, though.

"Queen Elincia did not seem eager to supply us with troops. Did she change her mind?" Zelgius slowly asks.

Valtome's mouth curls into a wicked smile. "Not Crimean troops, boy. Daein."

Zelgius continues to speak slowly. "With all due respect, Senator, the current Daein is not known for its militaristic might."

"Oh, but surely you have heard?" Valtome asks rhetorically. "They have an ace--the Silver-haired Maiden."

Zelgius's blood runs cold.

"The people of Daein will do _anything_ for her. Why, not unlike how generals in the Begnion army should treat the senators, no?" Zelgius chooses to ignore Valtome's passive-aggressive comment. "You can take command of a little girl, can't you?" Valtome asks with the same horrid smile plastered on his face.

Zelgius has no choice but to nod.

"Wonderful. The troops should be arriving on the morrow. I trust you will meet with them then?"

"Of course, Senator. As you command."

As Valtome walks away, Zelgius's brain tries to pinpont Valtome's objective. What good will Daein do? He knows that the army is stronger than it looks. As Valtome said, Micaiah's leadership is inspiring. What use could he have for her here, though? Surely the senator knows that his own leadership is more than enough to secure a victory. Perhaps Valtome just wants to toy with him and make him feel as incompetent as he is. The lack of a direct motive unsettles him most.

***

True to Valtome's word, Daein reinforcements meet up with the Central Army the next day. Zelgius's orders are to brief them on Begnion's expectations, the state of the army, and the planned route through Crimea. Daein cannot defy Begnion--Zelgius knows that. With Micaiah at the helm, the army should not lose its will to fight, either.

Micaiah...

He turns his mind to other things, namely, the near-frantic Levail is at his heels.

"General, I'm not ready to command the Central Army! You are much better suited for the job! Perhaps I could convince the senator that we should switch roles!"

Zelgius shakes his head. "We are not to question the orders of our superiors. If the senator sees you as fit to lead the Central Army, then that is what you must do."

"But General, I--"

"Levail."

Levail steps back.

"You have worked very hard. You are knowledgable and have plenty of battle experience. The army needs you," Zelgius says warmly, " _General_ Levail."

The young man swallows and nods. "I promise to do my very best for you, General!"

"It's just Zelgius, now."

Levail's face contorts before saying, "I don't think I can call you that."

Zelgius smiles, worries far away, now, and nods. "General it is, then. Levail, I have the utmost faith in you. You will lead the Central Army well."

"Thank you," Levail says meekly, dawdling for a few awkward seconds and then running back to his post.

Zelgius continues foward, now seeing Daein's flag flown above the encampment. He does not have much time. Expectation, routine, route. That is all he needs to cover. He is no closer to piecing together Valtome's motives, however, and that thought preoccupies him as he marches into camp. "I am here to meet with your commander," he offhandedly says to the first soldier he sees. Is it possible Valtome plans on turning on Daein while they are here with them? Is there a faction of the army he plans on sending to storm the castle while the defenses are down? No, that would not work. The entire Central Army is stationed together at the Crimean border, and there was no sign of a splinter group. Perhaps--

"General," a voice cold as ice pierces through his thoughts.

Zelgius snaps to attention, then looks for the source. His breath catches in his throat when he sees her approaching him. Micaiah always looks towards him with warmth--an expression that thaws the cool persona he keeps up. She is determined, eyes aflame with the light that shows Daein to a new future. Now, the look she gives him is frigid. There is no kindness or warmth, and her determination is frozen over like a glacier.

She stomps right up to him (her head reaching his waist at most) and cranes her neck so she is looking directly at his chin. He steps back and meets her gaze. "You must be the Silv... Micaiah. You must be Micaiah."

"You are General Zelgius of Begnion," she says sharply, eyes narrowing. He has felt her eyes boring into his soul before, but never so uncomfortably as now.

"Yes. I am to be your commanding officer in our march through Crimean territory. If you would--"

"You were present in the Mad King's War, were you not?" she cuts him off. He cannot stare into her eyes anymore, so he glances around, now noticing Sothe beside her. He should have expected this.

Zelgius nods, slowly returning to her gaze. "I was."

Her lips roll inward. "You were the general that held up the Crimean army."

"I was." What is she trying to accomplish? He does not like this Micaiah that looks on him with cold hatred.

"Then you brought Daein to its knees."

Oh.

"Sothe was in the war. He told me how your army kept the Crimean Liberation Army safe."

Zelgius looks back at Sothe. Sothe avoids his gaze stares down at his own feet.

"You caused our kingdom to fall. To suffer." She balls up her hands into fists and glares right at him.

Zelgius's eyes return to her and takes a deep breath. "The past is past. We are allies, now. I do not wish for any animosity between us now that we have a common goal."

The ice in her stare shatters. "A common goal? You are blind, General, if you believe we share one." She is small, but the authority in her voice shakes him to his core.

"I am here to serve Daein, not Begnion. I will do what is best for my troops, no matter what." She is inching closer, but this time, Zelgius stands his ground. He is the envoy of Begnion and to be her superior. He must appear collected at all times. "I am not afraid," she continues. Her chin almost runs into his stomach. "I will lead Daein in this war we have no business being involved in, but I will not do it in fear. _You,_ " she hisses. _Hisses!_ He stares back down at her and swallows. " _General_ Zelgius, do not scare me." He does not know how to respond.

With a satisfied nod against him, Micaiah twirls around and storms away, Sothe at her heels.

He stares blankly out as they retreat. This is not normal. It is wrong. Micaiah is not cold-hearted or spiteful, is she? Why does it feel like he just met a brand new person? Zelgius looks down at his boots. His red boots.

When Micaiah had met him in the forests of Daein, she had told him that she knew she could trust him. It was not something he gave much thought to at first, since he had just saved her from mortal danger, but as time went on, she continued to shower him with praise and adoration, as well as pleas to stay with Daein.

When Zelgius encountered Ike on the riverbanks of the Ribahn after, he realized _why_ she must have felt that connection. She is Parentless, like he is. This connection runs so deep that once attuned to it, Zelgius could feel it, like fate was connecting the Branded together. If she felt that tie in the forest, then she should have felt it with him, now. She should have known that he was someone she could trust. Instead, her words today tore at him, cutting deeper since his guard was down. Their first encounter, her immediate trust...was that only from his strength? His fame?

The walk back to the Central Army camp is bleak, with every step filling him with more insecurity. Sephiran is jailed, the Empress is missing, and Micaiah, the person who told him she would fight beside him, wants nothing to do with him. For the first time in a long twenty years, Zelgius is truly lost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i think this is the first time i've truly written a miczel and not a micbk..............wow  
> i have somewhat of a plot, so this will be longer than normal????? i could probably have written it into one huge oneshot, but how would y'all eat during this quarantine if i didn't post something...... anyway, come get your food. except it's not food yet bc they're At Odds.  
> don't let me write my own comments when my brain is quarantine mush hhghghghg  
> stan levail he is a good boy


	2. Intel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neither Micaiah or General Zelgius are acting like themselves, and Sothe is determined to find out why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> literally didn't even look this over before posting i am sorry ghkjfhg

Moonlight seeps through the tightly-pulled curtains in the dim castle hallway. The only thing darker is the transaction taking place.

Lekain holds up a single finger. "One more chance. Only one."

"Thank you, thank you, Senator," King Pelleas sobs, crumpling into a ball on the floor.

"I am sure the Daein army will fight valiantly on the front lines."

The color leaves Pelleas's face. He feels like he is going to throw up. "The... The front lines of what, Senator?"

Lekain smiles knowingly, but his glare is cold as ice. "Of the Central Army, boy. Why waste precious Begnion lives when your country is so eager to help us?"

"They'll die!" Pelleas chokes out, holding a hand over his mouth and trying to breathe.

"And wouldn't that death be far more noble than the alternative?" Lekain asks in return. Pelleas falls silent. "The Daein army will march for Crimea first thing in the morning. I would advise you to alert your troops."

Pelleas shakily stands back up and mumbles a quick, "Of course." He uses the wall for support as he stumbles back to his quarters. He does not sleep a wink that night.

***

"I thought Pelleas was insane before, but now I'm not sure if he's even human."

"Sothe, don't say such things."

Micaiah and Sothe lead the battered Daein army in a long trek to the Crimean border. King Pelleas had met with them before they had a chance to return to Nevassa and had issued a new order from Begnion--to meet up with the Central Army and aid in its assault on the Laguz Alliance.

"It doesn't make sense," Sothe says. "Begnion has the most powerful military in Tellius, and the Central Army is its kingpin. They don't need us to win this battle or this war." He speeds up without realizing it, and Micaiah pulls him back. "This is suicide."

"This is what must be done," she corrects before changing the subject. "Do you know anything about the Central Army? Any information could be useful to us."

Sothe frowns but relays what he knows. "General Zelgius is commanding it. He helped us in the Mad King's war."

Micaiah bites her tongue to stop herself from saying something rash. "You mean he helped Crimea?" she asks quietly, anger already festering.

He sighs and nods. "Micaiah, don't start--"

"Begnion has taken everything from us," she says through gritted teeth, "and it refuses to stop."

"That's what I've been saying, Micaiah," Sothe clarifies, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Why fight now? Why give them what they want?"

Micaiah takes a deep breath to collect herself. "Because King Pelleas wants what's best for Daein," she mumbles. "I don't know how, but this is what's best." A fog surrounds her mind, and she knows she will not be guided by visions. She has to do this on her own. "I'll play their game, Sothe, but I am no pawn. I will always do what is in Daein's best interest, even at the cost of my life."

He never answers when she says things like that.

***

Micaiah tries to hold her emotions in. She tries to maintain a cool head. In fact, she feels completely frozen, with no warmth towards this esteemed general of Begnion. The words she spits have an icy venom, ripping through what defenses he has and piercing through his soul. Once she starts her tirade, she cannot stop herself.

"You brought Daein to its knees," she bites. "You are blind, General, if you believe we share a common goal. I will lead Daein in this war we have no business being involved in, but I will not do it in fear." Her words tumble from her mouth, and if the general's expression betray his feelings, he is shocked. Hurt, even. She hammers the final nail in the coffin with a declaration: "You, General Zelgius, do not scare me."

Should she be scared? Probably. Begnion is not known for its hospitality. This towering general alone appears strong enough to slice her clean in half. In this moment, she does not care. She relishes in the stunned look he gives her as she turns on her heel and marches away. Sothe is following her; she can hear his footsteps getting closer.

"That was a warm greeting," he says when he's close enough.

Micaiah stops, and her whole body tenses. "I..." she mutters, folding her arms over her chest. "I may have taken that too far."

"You think?" Sothe asks. He rests his hands on her shoulders and gently begins to rub them. "You completely lost it. That isn't like you."

She bites her lip and mumbles, "I suppose not."

"Why don't you rest? We had a long journey, and you need some sleep."

"Y-yes. That sounds like a good idea."

Sothe leads Micaiah back to her tent and ensures there are no stray Begnion soldiers snooping for secrets before he leaves on a mission of his own. Like Micaiah, the general of Begnion was not acting like himself, and if he was going to help her, he needs to figure out what is going on. Is the general injured? Is he being manipulated? Why was such a fierce fighter so unsettled by Micaiah? He sets off towards the Begnion camp.

***

It takes Sothe longer than he would have liked to find the general, but the Begnion troops were not exactly cooperative, despite his rank as Micaiah's second-in-command. Zelgius is supposedly studying strategies for their armies to review tomorrow. At the very least, if he cannot find anything suspicious, Sothe can try and coax some of Begnion's tactics from the general.

He takes a deep breath, then speaks just loud enough for the tent's occupant to hear. "General Zelgius? Are you busy? It's Sothe from the Daein army."

A pause, and then Sothe hears, "You may enter."

He cautiously lifts the flap of the tent and pokes his head in. Zelgius is hunched over a table, looking over a map of the nearby terrain. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Sothe says sheepishly. He glanced around the tent for signs of other army members, but it seems the general is alone.

"Not at all," Zelgius replies quietly, standing up to his full height and beckoning him over. "What can I do for you?"

"You probably don't remember me, but I was part of the Crimean Liberation Army three years ago. Thanks for all your help, then," he begins, looking Zelgius up and down for signs of injury. He sees none.

Zelgius nods. "It was nothing. I was merely serving Begnion."

Sothe slowly nods in return and decides to cut to the chase. "Sorry for being so blunt, but you seem different now than you did back then. I wanted to know why."

Zelgius is not fazed by the inquiry, but he takes a minute before answering. Sothe uses that time to scan the tent again, but he sees nothing suspicious. "I am sorry if I caused you any worry. It has been three years since the Mad King's war. Much has changed since then."

That is a non-answer, and Sothe knows it. He decides to let it drop for now, though. "That's true. Whole countries have risen and fallen. Daein is sovereign now, believe it or not." He narrows his eyes, but the general is unresponsive. It seems he has regained the composure he had lost while talking to Micaiah. "General Zelgius, I can't see how this war is what the Apostle wants."

Zelgius's eyes widen for a moment, and Sothe knows he is on the right track. "I answer to the Senate," Zelgius says slowly, making sure Sothe was maintaining eye contact. Was this... was this his way of clueing him in?

"Isn't Sephiran in charge of the senate? I thought him and Sanaki were on the same page."

His eyes widen again. "Duke Gaddos is in control of the senate."

Sothe lets that information sink in for a second, then nods. "Looks like you have your hands full, then." It seems Zelgius is done sharing for now, because he does not answer. "I guess I'd better go check on Micaiah, then." Zelgius flinches. Maybe he can get one more thing out of him. "What did you think of our general? Of Micaiah?"

"She is...not what I had expected," Zelgius says remoresfully. Remorsefully? That was an unexpected tone. Sothe tucks it away in case it will prove useful later.

Sothe brushes off his pants as nonchalantly as he can and tips his head towards the entrance to the tent. "I guess I'll see you around, since we're in the same army and all." He locks eyes with Zelgius one more time and nods as a thanks for the information. "Maybe Micaiah will be more willing to work with you after I talk to her." Zelgius's expression flashes to something else. Hope? It is gone in an instant. Sothe tucks that away as well. "Thanks for your time." He ducks out of the tent and begins his jog back to the Daein camp.

***

"Something is very wrong in Begnion, Micaiah," Sothe tells her late that night in a hushed whisper. "Do you remember how Sephiran was supposed to lead the inspection team in Daein, but they sent Lekain instead?" Micaiah nods. "It turns out Sephiran isn't head of the Senate anymore. It's Lekain."

"What about the Apostle? Where is her hand in this?" she asks.

"I don't know. Zelgius didn't say anything about her."

Micaiah folds her hands and stares down at her lap. "Sothe, what are we going to do? It... it sounds like the general does not want to be part of this war, either. How can we go on when no one has the will to fight?"

Sothe does not answer.

"Sothe?"

"I want to run," he mumbles. "General Zelgius made it as clear as he could that Begnion is in the hands of tyrants. I don't want you to fight and lose your life for them. I want to take you and leave this place. But I know you won't have it."

Micaiah does not look up from her lap and quietly answers, "You're right."

"That's what I thought. Then I'm sticking with you. We'll see this through. General Zelgius can't say it, but I think we can trust him. He's on our side."

Micaiah unfolds her hands and takes a deep breath. "All right. I believe you."

Sothe thinks back to the strange remorseful and hopeful expressions the general had. "I think you should try working with him, tomorrow. You will be able to learn a lot about tactics from him." Micaiah nods. "And... maybe apologize for the way you acted."

She bites her lip and nods. "I... I will. Thank you, Sothe. Thank you for looking for the best in people and for believing in them. In my prejudice, I lost sight of that."

He nods solemnly. "I'm here for you, Micaiah. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe." With that, he leaves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Micaiah's motivations and loyalty that conflicts with her ideals has always been an appealing concept to me. It always feels like she's going through mental gymnastics when she's talking, because she wants to do what's right, even when what's right is wrong. I hope you felt the same sort of somersaulting logic as you read through >_<
> 
> IN OTHER NEWS, I pulled Duo Micaiah in FEH, so now I have them all ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ I want Sothe and Zelgius to be friends. Or at least, I think Sothe and Zelgius becoming friends while Sothe constantly provokes the Black Knight is ironic and hilarious.


End file.
